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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271274">Wish</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretkeeper13/pseuds/secretkeeper13'>secretkeeper13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Mutual Pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:33:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,034</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271274</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretkeeper13/pseuds/secretkeeper13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Ginny share banter, feelings, and a Christmas wish in this missing moment set during HBP.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>2020 Hinny Discord Incognito Elf Exchange!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Wish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/justmattycakes/gifts">justmattycakes</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic was written for the Harry/Ginny Discord Incognito Elf exchange for the wonderful justmattycakes. Thanks to TheDistantDusk for all her hard work in organizing the exchange and to all the lovely people on the Discord who have been a bright spot in a bleak year!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She awoke to soft tapping on her bedroom door.  The window was laced with frost, and a thick dusting of snow was piled on the outside sill. She slid her feet into her slippers and shivered from the cold. A large, lumpy stocking hung from the foot of her bed. As she opened the door, Fleur stirred in the opposite bed. </p><p>Bill stood in the doorway, his tall frame taking up most of the space. He was smiling that easy smile of his, and he looked far too cheerful for the hour. She was instantly suspicious. </p><p>“Happy Christmas, Ginny,” he said. </p><p>“What do you want, knocking so early?” she asked shrewdly. She had a good idea of what he was after. Bill was more unflappable than the others, though. Ron would already be the color of a tomato by now. </p><p>He smiled his easy grin again, leaning with his arm resting on the edge of the doorframe. “Sorry to wake you, I just wanted to give Fleur her present,” he said casually, his right hand gesturing to his left, which held a small box tied with a red bow.  </p><p>She groaned internally at what a sap Bill had become. </p><p>She wasn’t going to make this easy. “Well, go on then,” she said, tilting her head away from the door, keeping her eyes wide and innocent. She opened the door wider and motioned him in, but kept her feet firmly planted inside the room. </p><p>Bill’s piercing blue eyes narrowed. </p><p>“I wanted to give it to her alone, Ginny,” he muttered, looking over from the doorway at Fleur, who was stretching out in bed looking annoyingly perfect, her silver hair falling behind her in a smooth sheet.</p><p>“You want to give it to her all right,” she snorted under her breath.</p><p>Bill turned away from looking at Fleur and rolled his eyes at her. “Listen, I’ll make it worth your while- a galleon,” he said in an undertone. </p><p>She huffed, “That may have worked when I was six, not now. Bring her to your room.”</p><p>“You know full well I’m in with Fred and George,” he hissed. </p><p>“And I doubt they’d mind if you gave it to Fleur in their room,” she retorted under her breath. It would probably make their Christmas, she thought. </p><p>Bill sighed. “Come on, Mum, Dad, and Remus just went out for a walk. The others are still sleeping. Just give me a few minutes of privacy. Please. I’ll return the favor sometime, promise.” </p><p>Bill, her most cool, always collected brother, was practically begging. Phlegm had really done a number on him, Ginny thought, grinding her teeth. </p><p>“Fine. Five galleons,” he offered. </p><p>She sighed. Some pocket money for Hogsmeade would be nice. </p><p>“Alright then,” she conceded. “I’ll make myself scarce for a half hour. Then I’m coming back up to get dressed, so be warned.” </p><p>She took her wand and grabbed the new sage green jumper Mum made her from the stocking at the end of the bed, threw it on over her pajamas, and closed the door as Fleur called “Joyeux Noel” and Bill whispered his thanks. </p><p>She went down the stairs, grasping the banister draped in gold garland, the creaking steps muffled by her slippered feet. When she reached the kitchen, it was empty.  She put the kettle on and took out a mug as she waited for the water to heat. </p><p>Just as she was pouring her tea, she heard footsteps on the stairs. Ginny looked up at the sound. </p><p>Harry stood in the kitchen door frame wearing a deep burgundy jumper with a golden snitch in the center. His dark hair was rumpled in that careless way that she found far too attractive (especially for someone who had a boyfriend at present, she reminded herself). Her heart beat faster at the thought of being alone with him. <em>Fuck</em>.</p><p>“Good morning,” he said, his voice low and gravely, the sound of it causing a swooping sensation low in her stomach. He looked confused. “Er, where’s everyone else?”</p><p>“Mum, Dad, and Professor Lupin went for a walk, apparently. The twins are still sleeping. And Bill is in my room with Fleur at the moment, so I vacated.”</p><p>His cheeks flushed slightly at the implication. Merlin, he looked adorable when he blushed. She turned to the counter, and poured him a mug of tea, as she tried (and failed) to distract herself from her own thoughts. </p><p>“I hope he gave you a nice Christmas gift for your trouble, at least,” he said, a smile broadening his tinged cheeks. </p><p>“I may have negotiated a little something extra,” she replied as she handed him the tea, and instinctively, she winked. </p><p>He nearly fumbled the mug. “Cheers,” he said, raising the mug, as his cheeks grew even redder. He ran his hand through his hair in what looked like a nervous gesture. She wondered what his hair would feel like if she ran her fingers through it.<em> Stop</em>, she thought. </p><p>She tried not to think about how fit he looked, and asked, “Where’s Ron?” </p><p>“He woke up earlier to open presents, but I think he went back to bed when I went to the loo.” </p><p>Harry suddenly smirked, his green eyes glinting in the morning light as they caught hers. He immediately looked down and stared into his tea, but his lips were still quirked up at the corner, revealing a dimple on the right side which had long been a personal weakness for Ginny.  </p><p>“What are you on about? You look like the cat that got the cream,” she asked.</p><p>Harry chuckled, low and deep. He looked back up at her, and bit his lip as if to try to keep from smiling. His eyes were shining with mischief. Heat crept up her neck at his gaze.</p><p>“You know something. Out with it,” she commanded with a grin.</p><p>At her words, he broke into a wide smile. “All right. But you’ve got to swear you won’t tell anyone else- especially not Fred and George- I promised him I wouldn’t.” </p><p>“Oh, this must be good,” she cackled, rubbing her hands together and leaning closer towards him across the table.</p><p>“It is.” His smile grew wider, and he leaned closer. “But you’ve got to promise, I mean it,” he said. </p><p>“All right, I promise I won’t tell anyone. Now what is it?” </p><p>“Ron got a present from Lavender.”</p><p>Ginny rolled her eyes. “Unless it’s a replica of her tongue for Ron to stick down his throat, I’m guessing it didn’t go over well.”</p><p>Harry snorted. His shoulders were shaking with laughter. “No. That would’ve definitely gone over better. It’s erm. . .” He could hardly get the words out. “A gold chain necklace with ‘My Sweetheart’ hanging from it,” Harry gasped, then dissolved into laughter.</p><p>Ginny guffawed. “No.”  Laughter bubbled up from her chest as she pictured Ron’s reaction to the necklace. </p><p>“Yes. Saw it with my own eyes. It’s the gaudiest thing you’ve ever seen,” Harry said, still laughing. </p><p>She loved watching Harry laugh. The way his green eyes got even brighter and his dimple flashed was unfairly attractive. The gossips in the girls lavatory who constantly fawned over Harry as the strong, silent type had him all wrong. Because beneath that guarded exterior was a boy who loved a good laugh. And even if she didn’t dare admit it to herself, that was one of the reasons she liked him so much. </p><p>She groaned. “Ugh, I want to take the mickey so bad, but you made me promise I wouldn’t before you told. Tricky what you did there, Potter.”</p><p>He grinned at her and quirked an eyebrow up, smirking. “You’re still free to take the mickey if she makes him wear it.” </p><p>Ginny laughed again, picturing her gangly brother wearing the necklace around Hogwarts. “Oh, I hope she does. It would serve him right for going out with her.”  </p><p>“Can you imagine?” Ginny paused for a moment, then said, in a perfect imitation of Lavender, “Won Won, why isn’t your necklace out over your robes? Don’t you want everyone to know you’re my sweetheart?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Don’t by shy Won Won. I bet Professor McGonagall will compliment you on it in class.” </p><p>Harry roared with laughter. Ginny felt a sense of satisfaction that she was the one making him laugh.  </p><p>“Honestly, what was he thinking, going out with her?” Ginny asked, as Harry’s laughter finally began to subside. </p><p>After taking a breath, Harry wiped his eyes from behind his glasses. “I, erm, don’t think there was much thinking going on, really.”</p><p>“This is what happens when you think with your prick,” Ginny said, shaking her finger at him playfully. “You end up with a vapid cow who sends you tacky, ridiculous necklaces. Be warned, Harry. Even my most sensible brother just paid me five galleons because he was gagging for it.” She grimaced.</p><p>Suddenly, she realized that she was talking about sex with Harry, of all people. She hadn’t meant to. The words just tumbled out naturally in their easy banter. The heat was creeping up the back of her neck again. </p><p>Harry flushed scarlet and paused before he replied, “I’ll keep that in mind. And you, um, drive a hard bargain.”</p><p>“Don’t you forget it. Any of it,” she said, and she winked again. </p><p><em>What was wrong with her</em>? Her feelings for him, which she thought she had buried for good, seemed to sprout back to the surface last week when he asked Luna to Slughorn’s party. She’d felt such a rush of affection for him in that moment for his kindness in looking out for their friend (not to mention a twinge of jealousy too). But she had Dean. <em>Get a grip</em>, she thought. </p><p>“I won’t,” he said, his tone sincere, breaking her from her thoughts. </p><p>He leaned forward towards her with his forearms on the table again. He was looking directly into her eyes, and there was an expression in them that she hadn’t seen before- almost like longing.  She instinctively leaned closer to him across the table. </p><p>She’d promised herself two years ago that she’d get over her embarrassing crush. And she had. She’d dated (was dating, she corrected herself) other people. They’d become actual, proper friends. It was as easy and natural as breathing to talk and laugh with him now. But lately, something seemed to have shifted between them. Sometimes, she thought that maybe, possibly, he was attracted to her too. Of course, that was different than fancying someone, she told herself. She had six brothers- she knew that just because a bloke thought you were fit didn’t mean he fancied you. </p><p><em>You’re imagining it,</em> she told herself. And you’ve got a boyfriend, she reminded herself. Again. </p><p>He looked as if he wanted to say something, but suddenly, he straightened, and the (imagined, she maintained) moment was gone. </p><p>“Your parents and Professor Lupin are walking back,” he said, looking past her at the figures out the frosted window. </p><p>Ginny glanced at the clock. Twenty minutes had gone by. </p><p>“I suppose I’ll go and give Bill a warning,” she sighed as she stood up. “Honestly, it’s ridiculous Mum won’t just let them sleep in the same room. Everyone knows they’re shagging.”</p><p>“Er, yeah,” Harry said. His voice sounded hoarse. He gripped the table and a look of concern passed over his face. </p><p>He’s probably worried you’re going to tell everyone about the necklace, she thought, trying not to be distracted by the muscle in Harry’s forearm flexing as he held onto the edge of the table. </p><p>“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about the necklace,” she reassured, smiling at him. “I promised a friend I wouldn’t.”</p><p>“You’re a good friend,” he said. He sounded so earnest and endearing that she wanted to hug him. She kept walking, but when she reached the stairs, she looked back.</p><p>“Happy Christmas, Harry,” she said. His eyes lit up as he smiled at her words, and for a moment, despite not believing that he fancied her, Ginny still couldn’t help but wish, in the traitorous corner of her mind, that maybe, one day, he would.</p><p>*************</p><p>Harry sat in the chair in the far corner of the sitting room closest to the window, feeling rather miserable. The baubles on the Christmas tree next to him shone in the firelight. Ron and Bill sat across from him playing chess as Fleur looked on over Bill’s shoulder, practically sitting on his lap. Fred and George were playing exploding snap on the rug in front of the hearth. Mr. Weasley sat on the sofa, his arm around Mrs. Weasley, who was still wiping her eyes intermittently.  Professor Lupin, wan and pale, sat in the adjacent armchair talking to them. </p><p>At the sight of Mrs. Weasley crying, guilt welled up inside him. The incident with Percy’s arrival during dinner earlier had upset her, and there was no escaping that he was the reason that Percy and the Minister came to the Burrow. He watched Mrs. Weasley dab her eyes again with her handkerchief. He hated that he caused so much trouble for the Weasleys, when they had been nothing but good to him over the years. </p><p>His chest tightened. Unable to take staying in the sitting room any longer, he rose, took his glass, and walked through the sea of paper chains and into the kitchen. He refilled his cup with eggnog and glanced up at the inky sky out the window. It was probably freezing outside, but the fresh air would do him good.</p><p>He stepped out into the garden, his footsteps crunching on the fallen snow as he breathed in the damp, cool air. Light flurries fell, glistening white in the light of the half-moon. And then he saw her, silhouetted against the shed, wrapped in her cloak.</p><p>Ginny. He felt himself grow warm thinking of their exchange earlier in the kitchen. The soft morning light from the window had caught her hair and made the copper strands shine. Her eyes had sparkled with mirth as they laughed about Ron’s necklace. It was pathetic, he thought, that he couldn’t make it through even a brief conversation with her without nearly combusting. He said a silent prayer of thanks (again) that he had been sitting at the table, because apparently, all it took for him to become embarrassingly hard was Ginny barely mentioning shagging. He couldn’t help but fancy her, despite that she was decidedly off-limits (she’s dating your roommate and she’s your best mate’s little sister, he reminded himself for the thousandth time). </p><p>He crossed the frozen ground of the garden as if pulled to her by a magnet. He met her under the eve of the shed. She looked up and smiled, her eyes warm and bright, her cheeks rosy from the cold. </p><p>“I would’ve thought you’d had enough of the garden today after your private stroll with the Minister earlier,” she teased. </p><p>It felt like he had been doused in ice water. His face fell, and he awkwardly shifted, gripping his glass. “I feel terrible about that, actually.” </p><p>Her brow furrowed as her expression immediately changed from lighthearted to concerned. “Harry, what happened earlier isn’t your fault. You know that, right?”</p><p>He exhaled as he looked down at his worn trainers, the black scuff marks standing out against the white snow. He shrugged his shoulders. </p><p>“Hey,” she said, and he looked up. Her warm brown eyes looked directly into his. He could feel himself flushing under her gaze. </p><p>“You aren’t responsible for everything and everyone. It certainly isn’t your fault that my brother is an arse who tossed aside his family to further his own ambitions.” Her voice was reassuring, but firm. </p><p>“But what happened at dinner is my fault. If I wasn’t here, they wouldn’t have come. It’s me the Minister wanted.”  </p><p>It’s always me, he thought, though he didn’t say the words. </p><p>She looked at him with a fierce, determined expression, as if she heard his unspoken words. “Harry, even if you weren’t Ron’s best mate, even if my parents didn’t know you at all, they would still be in the Order. The issues with Percy and the Ministry would still be there. That’s not on you,” she emphasized. </p><p>Somehow, her words lessened the knot in his stomach. He sighed. “I just hate seeing your mum upset. I can’t help but feel like I’m responsible, you know?” </p><p>A wry look appeared on her face. “But you aren’t.” </p><p>She paused, as if deciding whether to say something. “And I do know quite a bit about that, actually.” She looked down and kicked the tip of her shoe into the fallen snow, causing a small flurry. </p><p>“What do you mean?” he asked. He was baffled. What could Ginny have to feel bad about? Ginny, who was always surrounded by friends, who was kind and looked out for others, who wouldn’t stand for people making fun of Luna.  </p><p>Her chest rose as she took a deep breath. She looked as if she was steeling herself to say something.  </p><p>“I feel responsible for what happened my first year. A lot of people were hurt and came very close to dying because of my stupidity.” Her voice wavered on the last word. </p><p><em>Oh</em>, he thought. Surely she had to know that it wasn’t her fault? </p><p>She bit her lip and looked away as she brought her left arm across her middle and grabbed her right.  </p><p>“Ginny,” he said softly. She looked up at him through her lashes. His heart was beating so loud that he could hear it thudding in his ears. He wanted her to understand. </p><p>“He’s evil. He’ll do anything, use anyone, to get what he wants. He did it to a professor. He’s done it to others.” </p><p>He wanted to tell her that it had happened to him too. He’d never told anyone that before. Only Dumbledore knew about what happened in the atrium at the Ministry when Voldemort had possessed him. But he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.</p><p>“It wasn’t your fault,” was all he could manage instead. </p><p>She shook her head, and her eyes shined in the moonlight. “I knew something wasn’t right with the diary from the start. I didn’t care. I was too happy to have someone to confide in,” she said, her words laced with bitterness. </p><p>Harry knew the awful feeling of being responsible for others’ suffering all too well. And he hated that Ginny, who was brave, funny, and kind, who made everything brighter and better, who deserved only happiness, felt that way too.</p><p>“It wasn’t just you who wrote in the diary. I did the same thing. I wrote in it as soon as I found it. And I never tried to turn it in or get rid of it like you did.” </p><p>Her eyes widened at his words. She ran a hand through her long hair, the coppery stands catching the white moonlight and gleaming like silk. “I panicked when I realized you’d found it. I knew I had to get it back.”  </p><p>Suddenly, the image of Ginny, small and pale, lying on the rough stone floor of the Chamber flashed in Harry’s mind. He remembered the feel of her tiny, cold hand in his. And he realized that, if not for Ginny, that would have been him.  </p><p>Harry looked directly in her eyes. “If it weren’t for you taking it back, it would’ve been me he took into the Chamber.” He exhaled. “So thank you,” he said. </p><p>She looked at him with disbelief, her lips parted slightly. </p><p>“I’m sorry for not saying something before,” he added. </p><p>Her face had an expression he hadn’t seen before. There was a softness in her eyes, a tenderness to it that was palpable. He wanted to hug her, to wrap his arms around her and hold her to his chest. He’d never had that feeling before, and the strength of it was almost frightening. </p><p>“You’re a good friend, Harry,” she said, her voice full of emotion. </p><p>The word friend twisted into him, reminding him that they could only be friends, no matter how much he wanted more. And he wanted more, badly, perhaps more than he’d ever wanted anything. </p><p>“I know you knew all that already, but sometimes... it helps to hear it from someone else,” he said. </p><p>“It did,” she said, her lips curling up into a small smile.</p><p>They stood in companionable silence for a moment. He took a sip of his eggnog, then held out the glass to her. “Care for some?” </p><p>She took the glass, and as she did, her fingertips lightly grazed his. At her touch, goosebumps erupted on his hand and up his arm. He was struck by a sudden, mad urge to hold her hand. </p><p>She raised the glass to her lips and looked up at him as she took a sip. </p><p>“Mum always makes good eggnog,” she said, and he couldn’t help but stare at her lips as she sipped from the glass. He was burning, despite the cold. </p><p>She passed the glass back to him, and her fingers brushed across his again, slower and softer this time.  Ginny shivered as he took the glass back. </p><p>He didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay out here with her, all night, even in the snow. But she was probably uncomfortably cold. He took another sip of the drink.</p><p>“We should go inside. It’s freezing,” he said, breaking the silence. </p><p>“Yeah,” she replied. “But you’ve got eggnog...” she motioned to his upper lip. </p><p>Before he could react, she leaned towards him and gently brushed her thumb across the peak of his upper lip. Her hands were warm, despite the cold, or maybe it was just the heat from his skin that erupted at her touch. His knees felt weak, and his cock throbbed in his jeans. His only thought was of what her lips would feel like on his. She was so close that if he just tilted his head down, he could kiss her. </p><p><em>You can’t</em>, he reminded himself. It took every bit of self-control he possessed not to close the gap and place his lips on hers. </p><p>“There,” she said, as she pulled her hand away. </p><p>Harry stared at her for a moment. He was surprised she couldn’t hear his heart beating. His chest heaved as he inhaled a deep breath of the cool air to try to compose himself. </p><p>After a moment, Harry gestured towards the house. “After you,” he said.  </p><p>They walked together through the garden, past the hedges draped in snowy cover and the gnarled oak tree, its bare branches skimming the sky. </p><p>“As soon we get back to Hogwarts I’m going to be looking to catch Ron in that necklace,” Ginny said, her eyes twinkling as she glanced at him from the side. </p><p>Harry smiled. “Of course you are. I wouldn’t expect anything less.” </p><p>“If he’s wearing it, you’ll need to give me a signal so I’ll know.”</p><p>Harry chuckled. “I suppose I could tug on my ear or something.”</p><p>Ginny snorted. “I thought future Aurors were supposed to be subtle,” she teased, pulling on her ear dramatically. Harry tried to ignore the creamy skin of her neck. </p><p>“Ouch,” Harry said, grinning back at her. “I guess I could scratch my nose then,” he said as he mimed it exaggeratedly.</p><p>Ginny laughed at him as she shook her head. He’d make himself look like a fool any time to hear her laugh. </p><p>“No? I guess I’ll just have to do this then,” he said, looking directly at her and giving her a wink. </p><p>A rosy flush blossomed on her cheeks. <em>She was blushing.</em> Harry wouldn’t allow himself to think of what that could mean. You can’t, he thought, repeating it in his mind like a mantra. </p><p>Too soon, they reached the back door. Harry opened it and held it for her. </p><p>“Happy Christmas, Ginny,” he said as she crossed the threshold. </p><p>She flashed her brilliant smile back at him over her shoulder, and in that moment, even though he knew it couldn’t happen, his only wish was that maybe, someday, somehow, it could.  </p>
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